Safety apparatus for highways



3 Sheets-Sheei 1 w. B. HAsTl-NGS Filed March 2, 1952 M :HNI

SAFETY APPARATUS FOR HIGHWAYS Feb. 14, 1933.

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Feb. 14, 1933. w, B, HAsTlNGs SAFETY APPARATUS FOR HIGHWAYS Filed March 2, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb- 14, 1933. W B. HAST|NG5 1,897,123

SAFETY APPARATUS FOR HIGHWAYS Filed March 2, 1952 s sheets-sheet 5 gmc/who@ lift Patented Feb. 14, 1933 NARREN B. HASTNGS, OF NORFOLK, VRGIN'IA SAFETY AFPARATUS FOR HGHWAYS Application filed March 2,

This invention relates to safety apparatus for highways and has for its object the provision of means adapted to be set by an object which is a factor of a created danger, and actuated by an autovehicle upon its approach toward the point of danger, so as to catch and positively hold the autovehicle, bringing it to a standstill before the danger point is reached. For example, not infrequently, automobiles have been driven through open draw bridges or on to railway tracks at crossings when a train is approaching.

By the present invention, the opening of the draw or the approach of the train to a predetermined point sets the vehicle catching and holding means in position to respond to the approach of the autovehicle, and the engagement of an element of said catching and holding means by the moving vehicle causes it to act by rising into the path of the rear axle or other appropiate part of the vehicle catching hold of the same and gradually bringing the autovehicle to a standstill.

In the case of a railroad and highway intersection, the safety apparatus would be set by a train while yet at a safe distance from the highway, and be unset by the train after it has passed the highway.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an automobile catching and holding means of the character described which shall normally lie at or below the level of the highway when unset so as to present no impediment to trailic, but having means rising into the path of the automobile, when the apparatus is set, and adapted to be struck by the autovehicle, and when struck, activating a hooked device which rises into the path of the rear axle and becomes attached to the same, yielding retardatively to the inertia of the vehicle and bringing it gradually to a standstill before it reaches the danger point.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the class described in which the hooked element which engages the axle normally lies flat flush with the street surface, but in rising to axial engaging position it synchronously rotates through an angle of 1922. ser-iai No. 596,351

900 so as to present the hook perpendicular with respect to the length of the axle.

A further object of the invention is to provide automobile catching and holding means which shall yield with the initial impact of 5 the automobile so as to avoid damage to the latter as well as to itself, but which after the initial engagement shall quickly and progressively impose an increasing resistance to the momentum of the moving vehicle.

'Qther objects of the invention will appear as the following description of an exemplary mbodiment 'thereof proceeds.

ln the drawings which accompany and form a part of the following specification:

Figure l is a plan view of a portion of highway and an intersecting railroad track, illustrating a situation in which the invention may be employed;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 3 is a transver e vertical section through two units of the autovehicle engaging apparatus;

igure l is a horizontal section through the cable paying and rewinding mechanism;

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in section of the winding drum with the associated brake drum and uni-directional release mechanism;

Figure 6 is plan view, the sweeps being shown in cross section, of two adjacent air cylinders, showing diagrammatically the electrical valve operating system;

Figure I is a perspective view of the hook elevating mechanism;

Figure 8 is a perspective View partly in section of one of the link bars which connects the sweep to the hook raising member;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the three-way valve and operating solenoids therefor;

Figure l0 is a vertical section through this valve; and

Figure ll is a horizontal section through the valve. 95

Referring now in detail to the several tigres, the numeral l represents a highway and an intersecting railroad track.1 The object of the invention as applied to this situation is to positively catch hold of an automobile train is approachingandto bring it to a standstill before it reaches the railroad track.

on eachside ofthe railroad track at a suitable distance therefrom;` Switches -6 and? are arranged along-the railroad track, one

on Vthe approach side of the highway and cuits with setting means inj'connection with Vthe safety devices on bothsides of the high! way so as to set these devices'into responsive position when the switchis actuated by a train.' The `switch 6 is ofcourse, placed at a suiiicient distance fromfthe highway to as` -sure the timely'setting of the safety devices. The switch 7, which is onthe retreatside of the highway isV similarly connected to the safety` devices and puts them in inert condi--l tion as soon asthe train has passed the cross# ing.` x Normally, that is to say, when the safety devices are yin inert state no',l portion;l of them rises above. the'surface vof the ground and they normally l05er therefore, no impediment tothe passage of traino. Y

Each offthcysa-fetyl devices comprises trigger member or sweepadapted to be engaged .by the front ofthe automobilaandv fin turn, when engaged, to cause the elevation of the automobile catching and holding element. Thesweeps are raised to; automobile engaging position bymeansresponsive to the actuation of: the switch 6 and theyare returned to inactive or 'jsupine positionV by means responsive to the switch 7.

Y V/'Referring to `Figures l and 2, it will. be observed that the safety devices eachcomprise'a plate 8 whichfmay be of cast iron, or other suitable material, set flush with the ground andr forming. the cover of a pit 9 which may 4bewalled with concrete or sheet orfcastmetah `Acom'pressed air cylinder 10 is mounted insaid pit, in which'cylinder `works a plunger 11'. Air under pressure is "suppliedto the lower face of said plunger Yfrom'a reservoir 12 Vconnected to an air com-V pressing unit '13 and in communication by way of lthe conduit 14 with the cylinder 10.

- A three-Way valve 15 which may be electrically-.operated vcontrols this conduit.l Figures 9, 10 andx11V show details of the `valve i -in which solenoids 16 andf19 actuate an armature 17, the samebeing suitably connected tothevalve18. .f A

When the switch 6 visclosed the solenoid 16 is activated andthe valve opened topermit neath the plunger 11. Y g .ed Vby a suitable cross head- 20and pivotally compressed air to enter the cylinder 10 be- Said plunger is guidone on the retreat side, QThe, switchf as will be shown, ,is connected by suitable cir- 'radius rod or Some other Y l the lplunger is in its lower-most position the A set of three safety devices 3, 4 and 5 isf arranged on the right side of thehighway yupper end of the sweep is flush with or below the uppergsurface of the plate 8 and-in position to extend `upwardly through the. slot 22. -As lthe sweep rises with the plunger 11, it extends above the surface of the street Vandinitsiinal upwardposition, it is high automobile-andthe lswee'p itself.'` An intermediate portion of thesweep passes through aslot 25iifn a link f bar 23 located in the I pit andwhichbar connects the sweep'to the hook elevator 24. Theis-weep is normally heldinfiioating positionbetween theends of the slot aV pair of springs 261 and:27 :anchored ,to. ,opposite sidesof the sweep and tol the link,` bar adjacent the ends of the slot. These springs Lyieldto the impactiof engagem-ent'of the' automobile with the sweep andwhen the springl27 hasbeen suciently fcompressed, the link :bar 23 is pulled tothe right as viewedi in Figure 2,-.oscillatiLI-1ga bel-lcrank 28 ona shaft 29, the latter being "mounted transversely in Ythe vsides 'of the pit and underlying thehook elevator 24.

- Y When the bell' crank 28 -rocks, its free arm` 30 raises the hook elevator to the position 31 indicated in broken lines.` The connection between the link barandthebell crank 28 is lofgyielding 1 nature comprising a pair .ot springs 32and 33 in a, slot 34 in thelinkV bar, said spring abutting opposite sides of the bell crank 28 and being anchored adjacent opposite' ends of said slot. For keeping the springs in alinement in said slot, a sliding carriage 35 is provided which embraces the' sides 36 and 37 Vof said link bar and receives the end of the arm of the bell crank 28.

It will be understood that the full line position of' the link bar shown in Figure 2 represents its position of repose, and that when .the sweep 21 rises intoautomobile engaging position, the link bar assumesA the broken line position shownlin this Figure. Y Forethoughthas been given to the -fact that an-Y-automobile may occasionally strike the A sweep with its front tire while 'the lrear wheel, restsupon the hook elevator 24, thus rendering the deviceV inoperative. The pairs of springs 25,V 27, 32 and 33 as well as the v lresiliency of the sweep 21 itself, take care of this situation, permitting the sweep to be pushed latto the ground while4 the hook Velevator remains flat, without ybreaking vkany' partof the apparatus. 1

The safety devices 3, 4 and 5 are spaced apart a distance less than the width of the automobile wheel base so that if the wheels on one side of the automobile collide with the sweep and hold the hook elevator down, the adjacent sweep and the adjacent hook elevator will still be active, and in position to engage and hold the automobile.

The hook elevator comprises an elongated box or casing 38 pivotally mounted at an intermediate point in its length on a transverse rod 39, the ends of which are fixedly secured in `the pit. The upper face of the casing 38 normally fits and occludes a slot 40 formed in the plate 8. The hook 41 which engages the rear axle of the automobile is mounted at the forward end of said casing. Figure 2 shows in the full line drawing that the hook lies normally fiat and parallel to the surface of the highway. It would, of course be impractical to have the hook in vertical position and projecting above the ground on account of the risk of tripping pedestrians or damaging the tires of automobiles. Therefore, while the casing 38 is rising to the broken line position shown at 31, provision must be made for rotating the hook through an angle of so that it is presented in a vertical plane in the path of the automobile axle.

It is of course, also impracticable for the hook to be made rigid with the casing 38 for either the automobile axle housing would be broken or the apparatus itself smashed by the impact of the moving vehicle. The connection of the hook 41 to the casing 38 is therefore indirect, being by means of cables which permit the hook to be drawn out from the casing immediately upon its being engaged by the automobile axle. The hook is therefore mounted upon a circular plate 42 shown in Figure 7, said plate forming the anchorage for the ends of cables 43 and 44. A second plate 45 abuts the plate 42 and the plate 45 is also independent of the casing 38. The cables pass through circular apertures 46 and 47 formed in the plate 45 at diametrically opposite points. The plate 45 is keyed to a shaft 48 which extends through a bearing in the front wall 49 of the casing 38 and through a similar bearing in the rear wall 50. The rear end of the shaft has a gear 51 which meshes with a toothed sector 52 on a bracket 53 rigidly mounted on the under side of the plate 8. When the hook elevator rises, oscillating about its axis rod 39, the gear 51 rolls along the sector, rotating the shaft 48 and with it the plate 45 through an angle of 90.

The apertures 46 and 47 through which the cable p-asses and which are horizontal when the casing is in its supine position are thus turned to a vertical position. The forward wall of the casing is provided with arcuate slots 54 and 55 to accommodate the change in the position of the cables from a horizontal to a vertical plane. The plate 42 is normally kept pressed into contact with the plate 45 by the cable-winding means presently to be described, and thus when the plate 45 is rotated through an angle of 90o as described, the plate 42 is similarly rotated and the hook is changed from a horizontal to a vertical plane. This accounts for the provision of a pair of cables instead of a single cable. It is the cables anchored at the plate 42 and passing through the apertures 46 and 47 of the plate 45 which causes the. plate 42 to follow the movement of the plate 45.

The cables 43 and 44 wind upon a drum 56 mounted in the pit, the two cables being shown in Fig. 3 as being kept separate by an intermediate flange 57 on said drum. One of the heads of said drum comprises a large `gear wheel 58 which meshes with a large bevel gear 59, the latter meshing with a small bevel gear 60 at the base of a screw 61 and by means of which gear 60 said screw is rotated.

A brake drum 62 is mounted co-axially of the winding drum 56 and'adjacent the outside face of the gear wheel 58. Said brake *A drum is provided on its interior periphery with ratchet teeth 63 appropriately shouldered in one direction and sloping gradually in the other. The face of the gear wheel 58 is provided adjacent the inner periphery of the brake drum with pawls 64 normally biased into engagement with the ratchet teeth 63 by suitably disposed springs 65. It is obvious that when the winding drum turns in a winding direction as indicated by the arrow in Figure 5, the brake drum 62 will be drawn around with it just as though the winding drum and brake drum were a unitary structure.

Avbrake band 66 surrounds the brake drum, being suitably anchored at one` end to fixed means 67. The brake drum is actuated by means of a nut 68 traversing the screw 61 in one or the other direction according to the direction of the rotation of said screw, said nut having a pin 69 playing in a slot 70 formed in a rocking lever 71 intermediately pivoted at 72 and having its opposite end 73 secured to the free end of the brake band.

It is obvious that when the screw rotates in one direction the end 73 of the rocking lever will move upwardly, drawing the brake band tight against the brake drum, and that when the screw operates in the opposite direction the nut will travel upwardly moving the end 73 of the brake band downwardly and releasing the frictional pressure of the brake.

In operation, when the axle of the moving automobile strikes the hook 41 and is engaged thereby, the hook will be pulled out from the casing 38, unwinding the cables from the drum 56. At first there will practically be no resistance to the unwinding of the cables and consequently, the hook will yield almost completely to the inertia ofthe automobile.

As vsoon however,v Vthe `drum 56begins Yto turn in an Vunwinding direction, the gear trainof whichsaid -drumxforms a part, will -rotate the screwl 61V andrbegin to apply the brake. Since whilethe drumr56 is unwinding, .the brake drum-moves unitarily there-Y with, the braking eect progressively applied Vby the said screw to the brake drum will' be transmitted to the'winding drumand to the cablegradually bringingthe'automobile toa Y standstilhjust as though the'brake drumand V jfbrake band wereapart of the automobile l' mechanism.k lVhen the automobile hasbeen brought to; afposition of"r`est,'the driver must back itiup beforehe cfanlreleaseftherhook from r the axle.. Means arethereorm pr'ovidedgfor L t ure-winding thegcable'onthedrum whenth'e Vhook is relievedfromthe drag of the antoniobile byl the backing of theflatter. This means consists, in the present exemplary embodiment of the invention oi a .spring .7 4: conveniently mounted within the hollow hUbothe drum las shown in Figure-4,anchored at one end to a fixed supportandsecured to the drum at its opposite end. This'spring iswound bythe" unwinding `movement of the drum 56 and when. the `hook` isrelieved' from the drag of `the automobile, the spring 74 unwindsfro- {,tating the drumin :a winding direction and 30 .A

winding the cablethereupon. f s l ItY is obvious that vthe spring '74 need be made only suiiicientlywstrong torewindtheY maximum amount of cable that mayrever be withdrawnfrom the drum `by an automobile travelling at the maximum speed for which the apparatus is designed.k f

It willof course, benotedthat at the mo` .mentwhen the hook islrelieved from the drag of the automobile, the brake band isstill strongly applied to thebra-kedrum and'ordinarily the effort of Vthe spring ,74 to rewind the drum 56 would beoverwhelmed by the pressure of the brake band. However, immediately upon the releasefof the cables from the pull of-thenautomobile, the pressure between the pawls tland the ratchet teeth v63 Vceases and the springM-isenabledto Arotate [the drum 56 freely-with respect to the brake Y* thehook 41 when the, driver ot theauto ve' drinn 62, the ,pawlsislipping over the oblique faces ofthe'V ratchet teeth.:..As soon as the drum 56 begins to rewind, the nut 68 begins to traverse the screw in theopposite direction releasingthe'brale bandl and restoring the parts to their normal position. in readiness for a repetition of thecycle of operation.` of; s 'Y A Regardlesszofwhat may bethe positionv of hicle releasesV it from his axle, itwill always befdrawn into flat positionlby'thetinie it has been retracted to a positioniagainst the casing i 38,*by' reason of the rotation oity the plate 45 Vand the positions assumed'by the V apertures 46and47as has'beenjpreviousdescribed.

switch 6, thesoleno'id '16 isjdeenergized, closing the valve 18, cutting oil pressure from: the cylinder l0, .but at the same time maintaining the'A pressure that has alreadybeen acquired within said cylinder. When the trainreaches the switch 7 the solenoid'lQ isA actuated, ro-

tating the valveyl8 tol afposition putting the` conduit 15 intoicommunication rwith atmosphere, releasingthe pressure within the .cyl-

inder ,10 and `permitting 'the gravitational; i

descent of theplungerll which .withdraws Vthe sweep r 2'1 below thelevel'fof the street. f

While I have in the above description-diskclosed an exemplaryembodiment ofthe infvention it is to be understood thatthe in'ven tive; concept resides inthe broadcombination of elements rather than'i'n the'spe'cilic details l `automobile catching andl holding' means, and

trigger meansfor raising' said "automobile catching andholding means into the path of theppart of the automobile whichis to be caught and held thereby',when said trigger as illustrated and Vde'scribed'for .carrying `out means is engaged' by :the automobile, both said trigger means and said automobile catchingY and yholding means being normally below 1GO the' plane of the highway, said trigger means v comprising a resilient sweep, a :cylinderl and piston, thefflatter reciprocating substantially vertically within ysaid cylinder, said sweep being .pivotally secured to said piston, a

source of compressed air communicating with said vcylinder beneath said piston, a switch actuated by an object which is a `factorof `danger intermittentlycreated adjacent said automobile catching and holding means,'1for actuating a valve' controlling the admission 'of compressed air to saidecylinder, and a` connectinglink between saidy sweep and 3 said automobile catching and holding means'.

2. Safety systeinas claimedin claim 1.,' the connecting link being resiliently connectedto 3.- Safety `system o automobile catching and holding means, trigger means for raising said automobilefcatchf ving and holding means into the path offthe part of the automobile Vwhich is to be caught and heldthereby when said triggerv means is Vengaged by the automobile,'both said trigger saidsweep,l v s i,

for highways comprising means :and saidautomobile catching andV holding means being normally below the;

'plane Vof thehighway, said trigger means comprising a resilient sweep, a .cylinder and piston, thelatter reciprocating substantially vertically 'within said cylinder, saidI sweep' beingzpivotallyv secu-redt()-` said pist'on', a link 1 lao resiliently connecting said sweep to said automobile catching and holding means, a source of compressed air communicating with said cylinder beneath said piston, and switches arranged one at each side of said highway adapted to be successively actuated by the passage of an object which is the factor of danger intermittently created adjacent said automobile catching and holding means, the first switch actuated controlling the admission of compressed air to said cylinder for raising said sweep, the second switch when actuated exhausting said air and thereby causing the recession of said sweep.

4. Safety means for highways comprising automobile catching and holding means, and trigger means for raising said automobile catching and holding means into the path of part of the automobile which is to be caught and held thereby when said trigger means is engaged by the automobile, and means actuated by an object which is the factor of danger intermittently created adjacent said automobile catching and holding means, for elevating said trigger means into position to be engaged by an automobile, said automobile catching and holding means comprising a hook elevating member having the upper face thereof substantially flush with the plane of the highway, said hook elevating member being mountedv on a horizontal axis extending transversely of said highway, a lever for operating said hook elevating member and a connection between said lever and said trigger means.

5. Safety system for highways as claimed in claim 4, the hook elevating member comprising a shaft extending longitudinally thereof, a plate on the forward end of said shaft having diametrically arranged apertures, cables passing through said apertures and said elevating member and being secured in winding relation on a winding drum, a hook having a base member abutting said plate, said base member having apertures alining with the apertures in said plate and having the cables secured in said apertures, and a gear on the opposite end of said shaft in mesh with a fixed rack bar, said gear rolling upon said rack bar when said hook elevating member pivots on its axis rotating said shaft and said hook through an arc of 90.

6. Safety system for highways as claimed in claim 4, the hook elevating member including a shaft extending longitudinally thereof, a plate fixed to the forward end of said shaft, apertures in said plate at diametrically opposite points through which pass a pair of cables, a hool; having a base member provided with apertures registering with the apertures in said plate, and in which the ends of the cables are fixed, means operable when said hook elevating member oscillates upon its axis to hook elevating position for rotating said shaft and hook through an angle of 90, a drum on which said cables are wound, a brake operatively related to said drum, and means for gradually applying said brake as the cables are drawn out with said hook when the latter is engaged by a moving automobile for bringing said automobile gradually to a standstill.

7. Safety system for highways as claimed in claim 4, the hook elevating member including a shaft extending longitudinally thereof, a plate fixed to the forward end of said shaft, apertures in said plate at diametric'ally opposite points through which pass a pair of cables, a hook having a base member provided with apertures registering with the apertures in said plate, and in which the ends of the cables are fixed, means operable when said hook elevating member oscillates upon its axis to hook elevating position for rotating said shaft and hook through an angle of 90, a drum on which said cables are wound, a brake operatively related to said drum, and means for gradually applying said brake as the cables are drawn out with said hook when the latter is engaged by a moving automobile for bringing said automobile gradually to a standstill, and means for automatically releasing said brake and rewinding said cables on said drum when said hook and cables are relieved from the draft of the automobile.

In testimony whereof I a'ix my signature.

WARREN B. HASTINGS. 

